Posted on 12/17/2014 11:22:21 AM PST by ConservingFreedom
Dispensaries in the 23 states that have legalized medical marijuana can all breathe a sigh of relief. The massive “Cromnibus” spending bill passed Saturday night includes an amendment that essentially shuts down the DEA’s pricey prosecution of state-sanctioned medical marijuana.
The amendment bans the Justice Department from using funds to “prevent [medical marijuana states] from implementing their own State laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.”
The bill now awaits approval from President Obama.
The Obama administration has regularly raided and prosecuted medical marijuana dispensaries regardless of state laws. According to a study by Americans for Safe Access, the administration has spent $80 million each year prosecuting medical marijuana, amounting to $200,000 every day and $300 million since Obama took office.
The amendment won’t eliminate all the legal problems medical marijuana producers face due to federal marijuana prohibition. It does not address banking issues that prohibit them from depositing their profits, for example. But advocacy groups are hailing it as a significant step in the right direction.
“The federal government will finally respect the decisions made by the majority of states that passed medical marijuana laws,” Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), a co-sponsor of the amendment along with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), told The Huffington Post. “This is great day for common sense because now our federal dollars will be spent more wisely on prosecuting criminals and not sick patients.”
The amendment will also shield industrial hemp production from the DEA. Industrial hemp production is legal in eighteen states and has been approved by the Obama administration, but just this year the DEA seized hemp seeds intended for a legal research program.
A majority of Americans support leaving marijuana laws up to the states, according to a recent study from Third Way. 78 percent support legalizing medical marijuana, and 67 percent support granting states who pass legalization a safe haven from federal laws. 60 percent prefer state control over marijuana legalization, rather than federal.
Meanwhile, the fate of weed in Washington D.C. post-Cromnibus remains in question. A group of congressmen banded together to quietly include a measure intended to freeze D.C.’s legalization by pulling funds to enact it. But now some lawmakers think there’s a loophole in the language that could end up making weed even more freely available in the District.
“Based on a plain reading of the bill and principles of statutory interpretation, it is arguable that the rider does not block D.C. from carrying out its marijuana legalization initiative,” said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), speaking on the House floor last week.
Instead of blocking legalization, some now argue it would allow legalization to move forward but prevent enacting regulation to go along with it—leaving marijuana legal but unregulated.
To H*LL with morals there are dollars there!
Now if only they would pass some more laws to get the feds off the backs of the states.
Congress finally does something to support the 10th amendment, and we have to find fault with it, eh?
Is there something "immoral" about medical marijuana?
There’s probably an interesting interaction with the _Raich_ case from SCOTUS (to wit: “regulating interstate commerce includes stopping intrastate & personal activities reducing demand for illegal products”).
Can anybody explain to me why medical marijuana is governed by state law when every other drug is controlled by the FDA?
The 10 Amendment is only supported if the States do something we agree with. Americans by and large just can’t handle the freedom that States’ Rights would lead to.
Yeah, prostitution, sodomy and drugs great tenth amendment topics. There is always a person hooked on drugs who appears on this forum and supports any vice.
Because the feds enjoy the power of banning more than the power of regulating, and so perpetuate the fiction that marijuana has no medically useful properties.
“Is there something “immoral” about medical marijuana?”
Eighty years of government conditioning is hard to overcome.
Good. Now ban the federal government from interfering with or enforcing any of the first ten amendments. Their constitutional interference with states regarding the first ten amendments has lead to such horrific disasters as the murder of 70+ million unborn by prohibiting state anti-abortion laws, banning prayer and Christianity and Bible teaching in state schools, interference with state marriage laws, and the parade of horribles goes no and on.
Yes. as it is a fraudulent device to free up drugs for the addicts who appear on this forum whenever any criticism of the drug culture and its enablers appear. There are adequate prescription drugs to cover the issues claimed by the druggies.
Most people on FR only pay lip service to states' rights & small government. They don't really believe in these things unless it suits their particular issue(s).
I see now that the elections are over the republicans are back in the business-as-usual mode.
“Promises? We Don’t Keep No Stinking Promises!”
Should the feds step in and end Nevada's legal prostitution? And impose anti-sodomy laws on all states?
There is always a person hooked on drugs who appears on this forum and supports any vice.
There is always a person hooked on nanny-statism who appears on this forum and smears those with whom he disagrees.
The prescription drug cartel is far worse than anything having to do with medical marijuana.
Between Congress, the executive and the courts, laws are effectively arbitrary anyway. They don't mean what they say, and enforcement is a matter of politics, not a matter of law.
Now if we can just get the Feds out of the classrooms and Moochelle out of the lunchrooms, we’ll be getting somewhere.
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